Five ways crop breeding can benefit rural women

Five ways crop breeding can benefit rural women

Updated version. Originally published in 2021 on Excellence in Breeding website.

Agricultural progress is often hindered by innovations designed primarily by and for men. But what if women were fully involved in the design and development process? In crop breeding, empowering women can be transformative. By developing crops that are more climate- and disease-resilient, while incorporating the needs and preferences of women, breeding programs can enhance women's roles in communities, improve their livelihoods, and ultimately give them greater agency in shaping their futures. Crop breeding can lead the way toward a more inclusive, equitable future for women in agriculture.

As we celebrate the International Day of Rural Women this week, let's explore five ways crop breeding can help close the gender gap for rural women farmers.

1. Using breeding tools to understand and meet rural women's needs

Preconceptions about the roles of rural women farmers and consumers often lead to their exclusion from essential resources that could improve their incomes. For instance, in Uganda, where more than 75% of farmers grow banana as a staple crop, research from CGIAR's Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB), highlights the challenges faces by impoverished women, who, in household without man members may struggle to access banana planting material, putting female-headed households at a disadvantage in improving their crop yields.

Champions of the gender-responsive breeding approach, such as CGIAR's Initiatives on Accelerated Breeding and Market Intelligence, are working to ensure women's needs are met. By gathering gender-disaggregated data through structured household surveys, participatory rural appraisals, and farmer selection processes, they are able to understand what traits women prioritize. Tools like choice experiments, experimental auctions, and gamification further refine the identification of these traits. This information feeds into the development of Target Product Profiles,-ideal crop varieties designed to meet women farmers' specific needs.

By understanding and incorporating the preferred traits of women, breeding programs can develop varieties that are more widely adopted and better suited to the work, nutrition, and production needs of rural women.

2. Breeding can boost and sustain income

Access to new crop varieties tailored to the needs of women farmers enables them to benefit from more resilient crops. These improved varieties, when sold as cash crops, help women mitigate the risks and losses associated with crop production and processing. Resilient crops provide a more reliable and steady source of income.

For instance, biotic stresses like cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) can have economic effects on crop production and, consequently, the livelihoods of rural women farmers. Introducing disease resistance into cassava varieties specifically designed for rural women helps them safeguard their income from the devastating effects of these diseases.

3. Breeding can decrease drudgery

Breeders can help reduce drudgery by developing varieties that require less weeding, are easier to thresh, process or cook - tasks often carried out by women. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, there is a strong push to develop cowpea varieties, a crop predominantly cultivated by women. In 2022, CGIAR and national partners in Ghana and Nigeria released cowpea varieties that are not just higher yielding and disease and pest resistant, but also specifically designed for faster maturing times and easier harvesting.

Breeding technologies targeted at women are crucial for alleviating the burdens associated with household chores and crop production responsibilities. By addressing these social dynamics, crop breeding can significantly ease the workload of borne by women in agriculture.

4. Rural women can work as breeders too!

Women inspire women, making it essential to involve women in crop breeding to further improve the lives of women rural farmers. Programs like the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) showcase how women breeders can serve as role models, encouraging rural women farmers to pursue careers in agricultural science and breeding.

CGIAR and its national partners are home to many talented women breeders, some of whom come from rural backgrounds in the very regions where their work is focused. While women remain underrepresented in the field, we are witnessing an increasing number of women stepping into scientific and leadership roles, paving the way for greater gender diversity in breeding science.

5. Community roles can contribute to gender equality

Paulina Odey, a woman who lives in the Osun State in Nigeria, joined cassava evaluation activities through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the Nextgen cassava and the rtb foods projects. By implementing participatory methods like the TRICOT citizen science approach, women farmers have the opportunity to become citizen scientists. This allows them to test new crop varieties and directly inform breeding programs.

Through these methods, women are empowered to be more than just respondents in breeding processes. They become active partners, continuously evaluating new varieties, providing feedback on their performance and workability, and helping to disseminate them within their communities. This approach enhances their role in agricultural innovation and contributes to greater gender equality in farming.

Empowering rural women is essential

Empowerment is crucial for rural women farmers to overcome the daily challenges of crop production. Stakeholders from both the public and private sectors must actively contribute to this effort. Integrating rural women into technological disciplines like crop breeding holds significant potential to enhance their access to resources, increase their incomes, and broaden their opportunities. For rural women, crop breeding can be a powerful tool-not just for improving livelihoods, but for transforming them into leaders in their communities.

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We would like to thank all funders who support CGIAR research through their contributions to theCGIAR Trust Fund.

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